Cashmere, Canines and Construction: Spring (Baby) Showers part I

So, I lost my job rather unexpectedly a few weeks ago and though I've had quite a bit of spare time on my hands I just did not feel like blogging. It took me a couple weeks just to get my knitting mojo back. I have been keeping busy: weeding, planting, pruning, building a new and improved raised bed for veggies, cleaning and organizing the house. I went foraging in the woods for mushrooms and native plants which was especially therapeutic.

My dogs, as you can imagine, are thrilled to have me home. Though the spring weather is hit and miss, they are getting much more regular exercise outside the yard and I am able to spend more time reinforcing good behaviors :).

Fortunately it is raining more than water this Spring. Two important baby showers imposed some much needed deadlines for my languishing knitting projects.
Two of my momma friends are due exactly two days apart, so we had a joint day of celebration and blessing for them. Luckily the weather cooperated and we were able to be outside for messy belly casting and henna decorating of their fecund forms. It was really a wonderful time. Both moms were grateful for the absence of humiliating and idiotic baby shower games and instead we shared good food, good company and the love and support of friends.
Suffice it to say when the husbands came by later they had some choice words to describe our festivities, 'hippy' being one of the least egregious. Some activities are just better off voluntarily gender segregated I guess. We had fun and that's what counts!

Here is one of the baby sweaters I made. It is a very simple cardigan pattern to which I added the skull and crossbones for some tough guy flair (it's a boy). If you are on Ravelry, you can check it out here.

And some very masculine camo baby socks. You may remember the adult version in this yarn. These baby sock blockers are just about the most painfully cute things ever. I keep knitting baby socks so I have an excuse to use them. I bought them at Twisted and they are fantastic!

Here is the second sweater (you can see one of the second pair of booties in the corner there, not sure if I ever got a picture of those together). It is the same cardigan but plain blue with turtle buttons. The buttons actually ended up spread out much more on the sweater but I think I failed to get a final photo of that too. These turtle buttons called to me and at the shower I discovered that turtles were very significant to the recipient and her husband and they share matching turtle tattoos with each others initials. How cute! What serendipity! (or dumb luck depending on your disposition).

On a completely unrelated note, I finished my Rogue Roses socks and took some crappy photos of them. They really are nice. I look forward to sporting them with a skirt in the evenings this summer.